Rookies are the Recipe

This team is young, fast, and good.

Wedged between a lackluster Red Sox game and a Thursday night Patriots game, the 2017-2018 Bruins season finally kicked off with a 4-3 statement win over the Nashville Predators. The game saw a fight, good saves, high-flying offense, and great penalty killing on the part of the Bruins.

In the tilt, a pair of rookies recorded their first career goals. Jake DeBrusk, one of the three first rounders drafted by the B’s in 2015, scored his first career goal in the second period. Shortly after, Charlie McAvoy of Boston University ripped his first career goal in a Bruins uniform.

The combination of young, fresh legs and veteran leadership proved to be the right mixes in the first victory of the year. The team looked poised on the penalty kill, speedy in the offensive end, and strong in goal.

I’m not ready to say they’ll win a cup this year, but they’re tied for the highest winning percentage in the NHL right now… do the math.

1st Period:

On a 5v3 power play, David Pastrnak took a pass from Marchand at the point and cranked a one-timer past Rinne.

McQuaid and McLeod dropped their mitts and duked it out. McLeod finished a check on McQuaid and the two went at it. McQuaid got the first few shots in before McLeod threw a big hit. I’d give the edge to McQuaid in this one.

With 10 seconds left in the first, Arvidsson snuck one past Rask to tie the game heading into the second.

The Bruins were 2-2 on the penalty kill.

2nd Period:

Jake DeBrusk scores his first career goal on a shot in close. Krejci slides a pass over, DeBrusk dekes and buries the shot over Rinne’s blocker

McAvoy scores his first career goal with just over 4:00 to go on a wrister in the slot. Krejci brings the puck into the zone and feeds the trailing McAvoy to take a 3-1 lead.

Bruins lead 3-1 after 2.

3rd period:

3:05 to go, the Preds pulled Rinne to go 6v4 with the Bruins in the box. Marchand buries an open net goal 12 seconds later.

After taking another penalty and with Rinne pulled, the Preds finally scored with a 6v3 advantage. Hartnell took a pass from Johansen in front of the net and stuffed it past Rask.

With one man still in the box and Rinne pulled, Forsberg puts a shot in the goal on an off-angle shot that deflected off of Rask. This brought the Preds within 1.

The bottom line: Yes, the rookies were good tonight. Really good. But what really surprised me was the play of David Krejci. I’ve been a known “trade Krejci” guy, but he showed me tonight that he could still distribute the puck and make the players around him better. Anders Bjork played well tonight with an assist. He was +2 on the night with plenty of offensive chances. Also, this team was playing without Bergeron and Backes. I’m not saying a Stanley Cup…you’re thinking it.

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